Moistener for yarn or thread winding machine



Feb. 12, 1957 w. scHMlTz 2,781,021

MOISTENER FOR YARN OR THREAD WINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 x "1r r" Y A Fig i 28 I 24 Te I w 1 1 II4 l6 22 D I T u I I l I E Lee, w

William .Sc/rmffz IN VEN TOR.

MOISTENERVFOR YARN OR THREAD WINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1953 W. SCHMITZ Feb. 12, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

mm smmirz IN VEN TOR.

Feb. 12, 1957 7 w. SCHMITZ MOISTENER FOR YARN 0R THREAD WINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.4

llllll m m m M E n M w: m M s. W m a .0. m w w w y a r w a m v United States This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a yarn conditioning machine and more specifically pertains to a device for moistening yarn or thread as the same is wound upon a cone, a tube or the like, in preparation for its use in various yarn handling machines.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel and improved apparatus for moistening, dyeing, conditioning or otherwise treating yarn with liquids and which is generally useful in conjunction with textile machinery and is especially adapted for employment with apparatus for yarn twist-setting, strengthening and yarn winding.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device for moistening yarn especially during winding processes of the same, in an improved manner.

An important object of the invention is to provide a yarn moistening device whereby a precise adjustment of the amount of liquid or the substance for treating the yarn may be obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a moistener in conformity with the preceding object wherein the treating liquid may be applied to the yarn by passing the treating liquid through a porous plate in direct contact with the surface of the yarn to be treated.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the above mentioned objects which shall provide a positive guiding action upon the yarn for maintaining the same in direct contact with the porous plate for treating of the yarn by the liquid passing therethrough, and yet which will permit of free passage of the yarn across the porous plate and over substantially its entire area to permit the yarn to be wound upon a cone as by a level-winder mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whereby the yarn or yarn fiber may be moistened or treated with a minimum of frictional damage to the yarn or yarn fiber by passing the yarn across and in contact with a smooth surfaced porous conditioning plate.

An additional very important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the preceding objects wherein the yarn passing through the moistening device will be uniformly treated by the liquid by having a constant length of travel across a porous moistening plate despite changes in the direction of the travel of the yarn under the action of a level-Winder mechanism.

Another additional and very important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character set forth in the preceding objects in which uniformity in the treatment of the yarn by the liquid is maintained automatically despite variations in the speed of travel of the yarn across a porous moistening plate.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device in conformity with the above mentioned objects which shall be provided with a self-threading construction whereby yarn may be readily inserted in the guiding means of the apparatus and into contact with the porous block.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a hinged cover with a spray and dripping means in the cover, so that the spatter during the treating of the yarn 1 atent 2,781,021 Patented Feb. 12;, 1957 shall be prevented by enclosing the apparatus, not here shown, in a housing having a hinged cover.

And a final important object of the invention to be specifically enumerated herein, resides in the provision of a moistening device wherein the porous block shall be suppiied with a treating liquid under pressure upon one side of the same, and with a yarn treating surface on the other side, together with a collection trough about the block for receiving and discharging excess liquid passing through the porous block. 7

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and-in which: a

Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view, parts being broken away, of a portion of an apparatus for moistening or otherwise treating a yarn, a bobbin of yarn, a strand of'yarn therefrom and a spindle for winding the treated yarn being indicated by the dotted lines therein;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the moistening device;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the device of Figure 2, taken from the right end thereof;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device of Figure 2, the hinged lid being removed therefrom; a

Figure Sis a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the moistener, taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view throng the liquid metering gauge of the apparatus;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a strainer forming a part of the excess liquid discharge system of the apparatus; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing the relative arrangement of the yarn moistening device,

the winding shaft and self-winding mechanism and the yarn receiving spindle carrier of an apparatus with which the moistener of this invention is employed.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally the improved moistening device which forms the substance of this invention. In order to illustrate one manner in which the moistening device may be used with a conventional yarn treating apparatus, Figure 1 illustrates a portion of a conventional yarn winding apparatus having the present invention applied thereto. it will be understood however-that the invention is not limited to this particular assembly or use of the moistening device, but the drawings are to be considered as illustrative only.

In the apparatus illustrated there is provided a suitable table or platform 12 upon which is suitably mounted a driving shaft 14 having secured thereon a level-winder 16 in the form of a drum having an endless groove 18 extending thereabout.

Power is supplied to the shaft 14 by any suitable means, not shown, and causes rotation "of the drum 16 which serves the dual functions of a lever-winder and of a driving drum for the cone upon which the treated yarn is to be wound.

Likewise mounted upon the table 12 and rearwardly of the drive shaft 14 is a supporting shaft 2-9, see also Figure 9, upon which is secured the hub '22 of an arm 24 which is pivotally adjustable upon the hub as by a fastening bolt 26'. Carried by the outer end of the arm 24 is a shaft 28 which constitutes an axle for supporting IE Q a suitable spool upon which a yarn after treatment by the moistener of this invention is wound by the level winder 18. Indicated in dotted lines at 32 in Figure l isthe reel of yarn as wound upon the spool 36. It will be observed that in the example of the invention disclosed the conical surface of this reel rests directly upon the surface of the drum 16 and is rotated by the same, the yarn being moved evenly over the tapered surface of the spool 30 and the reel 32 by the groove 18 of the level winder. An adjustable weight W, as illustrated in Figure 9, may be provided for yieldingly urging the reel 32 into frictional engagement with the drum 16.

Indicated at 34 is a bobbin or spool of a yarn undergoing treatment by the apparatus, the strand 36 of this yarn being shown as passing through the moistener 16,

and being wound by means of the level winder groove 18 upon the reel 32.

in accordance with this invention the liquid with which the yarn is to be treated having been introduced by pump ing into the tank in the moistening device 10 through a filter is caused to continuously circulate through the same. For this purpose a shelf or platform 38 is provided below the table 12 upon which is mounted an electric motor 40 or any other suitable source of power which is connected as 'by means of a clutch or coupling 42 with a liquid circulating pump indicated generally by the numeral 44 which may be of any desired character. The intake of this pump as indicated at 46 is immersed in a tank 48 containing a quantity of the liquid with which the yarn is to be treated, while the outlet or discharge side of the pump comprises a pipe 50 having a pressure gauge 52 associated therewith, and is connected as by a flexible conduit 54 with a moistening device 10 in a manner to be set forth hereinafter. The delivery pipe 56 is also provided with a manual or discharge valve 56 which con- 1 trols a drain or discharge pipe 58 communicating with the interior of the tank 48. A liquid drainage and return conduit 66 communicates with the moistener 10 as set forth hereinafter, and discharges also into the tank 48. culating, being forced by the pump 44 into the moistening device, and being returned to the tank by the drainage conduit-60.

The moistening device 10 consists of a casing which includes a bottom portion 62 constituting a container and a top portion 64 comprising a lid therefor, the lid being hinged to the container as by a hinge 66 upon one end wall of the same. Disposed within the container 62 and extending above the floor of the same is a raised rib or wall-68 which encloses and defines a chamber '70 there- 5 within, this chamber constituting a liquid supply chamher for the moistening device. The top surface of the rib or wall 63 constitutes a support upon which rests and is secured a body 72 as by fastening screws 74 which eX- tend through the body and through the supporting rib, as shown in Figure 5. The body 72 thus constitutes a top wall or closure for the supply chamber 70. The body 72 is of a porous material of any suitable nature, as for example of porous bronze, glass, stainless-steel and the like, and may conveniently, as illustrated, be in the form of a plate. Upon the opposite side from the supply chamber 70, the body 72 has a smooth surface 76, of a particular shape and contour as set forth hereinafter,

which will of course be maintained in a wet condition by porting rib 68 thus lies between one side wall of the container and the rib 78 to provide a substantially rectangular collection trough or drainage trough surrounding the supporting rib and the porous body. This drainage trough is indicated by the numeral St} and as shown in Figures 4 and 5 is provided with a port communicating It will thus be seen that liquid is continuously cir treating agent.

with the drainage or discharge conduit 60 previously mentioned. To facilitate such drainage the entire rectangular collection and drainage trough may slope towards its outlet port which may be provided with a screen 82 in the form of a perforated disk, as shown more clearly in Figure 8.

A metering valve assembly 84 is interposed between the liquid inlet conduit 54 and the container 62. This assembly, as will be apparent from Figures 3 and 7, consists of a casing 86 into which the end of the supply conduit 5 is screw threaded, and which is provided with a cover 88 by means of which a screen 90 is clamped in the chamber. The cover 88 in turn is provided with an upstanding externally threaded tubular boss 92 which in turn is screw threadedly engaged in the lower end of a metering casing The upper end of this metering casing is in turn connected by a nipple 96 with the supply chamber 76 within the container 62. The interior of the. metering casing 94 is provided with a partition 98 having a valve seat 100 therein which is controlled by a needle valve 102. The flow of liquid from the pump 44 into the supply chamber 76 can thus be accurately controlled by properly adjusting the needle valve.

On the opposite end walls of the container 62 there extend fastening bolts 164 having wing nuts 106 thereon whereby the moistener may be conveniently supported by mounting brackets 108 and Ill] as shown in Figure l.

The casing to is provided with guide slots in the side walls thereof whereby the strand 36 may pass through the casing and across the body 72 in contact with the surface 76 thereof. These guide slots serve to maintain the strand in contact with the wetting surface 76 of, the body 72, while permitting longitudinal movement of the strand over this surface from one to the other as the direction of the strand is changed by the level winding drum 16. These guide slots are formed by complementary recesses 112 and 114 in the complementary side walls 116 and 118 of the lid or cap and the container 64 and 62 respectively. These recesses registering with each other provide elongated slots as will be apparent from Figure 2, these slots'extending throughboth of the side walls of the easing as shown in Figure 5. The slots are of suflicient length to permit the strand 36 to move across substantially the entire area of the surface 76 during the operation of the level winding drum 16. This motion of the strand insures that the strand will be efliciently moistened by being always exposed to a freshly wetted surface of the porous body. The device thus insures an effective moistening of the strand upon a continuously wetted and therefore substantially frictionless surface.

It will be understood, by reference to Figure 1; that the action of the level winder will cause the taut portion of the Strand 36 passing'through the moistener 10 to traverse the plate 72 from one end to the other. his sidewise travel of the strand results in the strand crossing the plate at varying angles, while if uncompensated for would result in unequal or varying lengths of contact of the strand and plate with an uneven wetting of the strand by the For this reason, the plate has its two longitudinal side edges 73 and 75 stuck upon concentric arcs whereby regardless of the varying angular relations of the strand, there will be the same length of the path of travel of the strand across the plate, insuring an even and unvaryin'g application of the treating agent to the strand.

In order to prevent splatter of moisture from the surface and passage of such sprays of moisture through the guide slots, the lid 64 is provided with depending bafiles or ribs 126 and 122 which serve to prevent splattering of the moisture through the guide slots.

At the opposite end of the casing from the hinge 66, the lid and container are provided with a pair of outwardly extending lugs or battles 124 20161126, whose adjacent surfaces are outwardly divergent provide guide means whereby a strand may be readily moved endwise into the device and into the slots in the side walls of the same. The member 124 also serves as a handle to facilitate the opening or closing of the casing.

If desired, as indicated in Figures 5 and 6, the lid and the container 64 and 62 may be either or both constructed of a transparent plastic whereby the condition and operation within the same may be readily observed.

In many instances, the foregoing construction will be found to function satisfactorily. In some instances, however, it is found that variations in the speed of travel of the yarn strand across the moistening plate result in an objectionable unevenness in the wetting of the yarn. To overcome this objection and compensate for this unevenness in the treating of the yarn a compensating means is provided. In general, this is obtained by including the strand ina vertical plane relative to the moistening plate so as to provide a clearance of progressively varying height between the top surface of the plate and the portion of the strand passing above the plate; and providing means for variably and-controllably depressing the strand to thereby lessen the length and height of this clearance and thereby controllably vary and increase the length of the strand portion which contacts the plate. The increased length of contact of the strand and plate can thus be utilized to obtain the same degree of treatment of the strand at a higher speed of travel of the latter across the plate.

The means illustrated for this purpose utilizes variations in tension of the strand as a force causing the depressing of the strand and increasing the length of its contact with the plate, the tension being found to vary in an approximate ratio to the linear speed of the strand.

The plate 72 as shown in Figure 5, has a top surface sloping from its back edge near the strand exit slot 130 downwardly to its front edge adjacent the strand entrance slot 132. The slot 130 is of relative narrow height, while the slot 132 is of considerably greater height to allow considerable vertical movement of the strand therein. The plate is of substantially uniform cross-section from one end to the other, so that the compensation in the length of contact of the strand as it moves across the plate from one end to the other may be obtained in conjunction with the compensation for speed variations.

In order to depress the strand upon the sloping top of the plate 72 and thus vary the length of contact between the strand and plate, there is provided a guide member which, in the form illustrated, consists of U-shaped bail having a pair of lever arms 134 and 136 with a guide rod 138 secured to the front end of the arms in front of the casing 62 and adjacent the slot 132. A crossbar 140 is secured to the rear ends of the arms and to the rear of the casing. Intermediate their ends, the arms are pivoted to the bolts 104.

As shown best in *Figure 5, a tension spring 142 is terminally attached to an intermediate portion of the crossbar 140 and to a bracket 144 mounted upon the casing 62. A bolt146 carried by the bracket 144 cooperates with an abutment member 148 on the cross bar 140 to provide an adjustable stop limiting pivotal movement of the crossbar, and hence of the guide rod 138 under the bias of the spring. The spring functions to elevate the rod 138, while the stop 146 limits the extent of this elevation.

In operation, the strand from the spool 36 passes over the rod 133, then through the entrance slot 132, then across the surface 76 of the moistener plate 72, then through the outlet slot 130 and the spool winder. There is no appreciable variation in the inclination of that portion of the strand extending from the outlet slot to the level winder. That portion of the strand extending from the rod 138, through the entrance slot 132, over the block 72 and to the outlet slot 130 is subject to a controlled variation in its inclination, by vertical movement of the rod 138, the relatively large height of the entrance slot permitting this variation,

Thus, when there is relatively low tension upon the strand, as when the linear speed of the same is relatively small, the rod 138 will be in its uppermost position as shown in Figure 5, the stop 146 determining this position, at which time the position of vertical inclination of the strand portion is shown in Figure 5 by the line A. At this time, the strand will be seen to be positioned near the top of the entrance slot 132, and the strand will contact only the highest portion of the surface 76, giving the strand the shortest length of contact with the plate 72.

As the speed of the strand increases, the tension on the strand will likewise increase. This increasing force has a downward component acting upon the rod 138 which will move the same downward against the spring 142. Such movement is indicated in the dotted line position of the depressed strand at B, it being seen that the strand is depressed or inclined to a position near the bottom of the entrance slot 132, increasing the length of contact of the strand with the moistener plate.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the length of the contact of the strand with the moistener plate 72 will vary in the same sense as the linear speed of travel of the strand; and by proper rate of variation in the length of this contact calibrated with the strength of the spring 142, a uniform treatment of the strand by the wetting agent can be effected for all speeds.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

.1. A moistening device for a yarn conditioning machine comprising a container for conditioning liquid and having a lid hinged thereto, a liquid applying body positioned within said container and in contact with the liquid therein and having a smooth surface over which a yarn to be treated is adapted to pass, guide means for maintaining said yarn in contact with said surface, said guide means comprising complementary side walls having registering recesses forming yarn guiding slots, said container and lid being hingedly connected at one end and having at their other ends guide baffles for guiding a yarn into said yarn guiding slots.

2. A moistening device for a yarn conditioning machine comprising a container having a lid hinged thereto, a raised rib on the bottom of said container comprising a support and enclosing a liquid supply chamber therein, a body of porous material in said container carried by said support and having a portion exposed to the liquid in said supply chamber whereby liquid in said chamber may penetrate said body, a yam-contacting surface upon said body remote from said portion, means for supplying liquid to said supply chamber, guide means for maintaining a yarn undergoing treatment in contact with said surface, and a deflector battle in said container for preventing passage of liquid through said guide means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 516,964 Clibborn Mar. 20, 1894 1,241,322 Woody Sept. 25, 1917 1,604,766 Carlson Oct. 26, 1926 1,684,923 *Mayer Sept. 18, 1928 1,730,950 Schmidt et a1. Oct. 8, 1929 1,863,280 Parks June 14, 1932, 2,038,789 Higgins Apr. 28, 1936 2,688,307 Nichols et a1. Sept. 7, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 105,428 Australia Oct. 6, 1938 

